OK I have a challenge. Bought a boat from an old friend who insisted I have it. I have fished in the boat and heard it run in Oct 12. It was being started regularly but not since then I guess. It will not start now. I drained a good deal of gas thru the bulb tube that comes between the gas tank and motor. The gas looks good colorwise - not green as I found in a 4 wheeler in December. However it does not seem to be getting to the spark plugs. I smell nothing when I removed a plug after a big of cranking. What can I do or should I just take it to BEANS.

Steve Carroll - the locator is mounted and coming on just fine. Just has this terrible first screen that has your name and logo. ready to fire up the boat and go learn some things.

Brian, if it sat that long you probably have moisture issues from e-10 fuel - Is it Optimax DFI or a carbed motor? Or is it a four stroke?

If a two stroke , I would find the fuel filter and see if when you pump the bulb its getting fuel - if its a four stroke find your mechanical booster pump (before the electric pump) mounted on the back of the motor camshaft and see if its getting gas there -

Pull the plugs one at a time to see if you are getting spark - if so I would put water muffs on the motor and use some staring fluid sprayed into the silencer and see if it will buck over - additionally I would carry a spare tank and new bulb and hose with you to see if it will start off that - if it was running in October and the fuel was stabilized it still should be good -

You can use BG44 added to a gallon of gas to do a hot clean of the fuel system - sometimes this will cure it sometimes it won't

Fuel tanks that have sat with E-10 in them are hydroscopic - they actually ingest moisture from the atmosphere, then the water and gas separates with gas being lighter floating over the water so that the tank fuel pick-up is siphoning only water(a good reason to add a fuel /water separator to your boat nowadays -) If you have pumped water into the fuel system (especially a four stroke, a trip to Beans will likely be necessary)

hope this help troubleshooting some

one other thing is to cycle your helm control forward and back to neutral to make sure your lockout isn't keeping it from firing -
Those who would give up constitutional freedoms to elected officials in exchange for a false sense of security, deserve neither freedom or security.

Pretty sure it is a carbed motor not Optimax. Will look again. I think the gas is non-ethanol and has stabilizer. How do you check for spark? Just pull the plug put it back in the wire holder thing away from the engine a couple inches and turn the key??

Will the carburetor have jets the way that four wheeler did? Stay tuned for more questions!! I rebuild pumps, car wash things all the time but am stupid on engines. Willing to learn!

Just for clarification, did you mean not starting since Oct 12 or last Oct? In my experience 15 months of not starting a carbed motor usually clogs up the jets if fuel was sitting in there, even if stabilizer was used. Others may have different experiences.

Brian ya want some help give me a shout 405-334-3954 - I can meet ya over at the car wash - and go over it with ya -
Those who would give up constitutional freedoms to elected officials in exchange for a false sense of security, deserve neither freedom or security.

I took the motor apart a little (four carbs area) and drained gas thru the top 3 carbs thru the screw near the bottom of each - pumped fresh gas after draining. Also took the idle valve or whatever it is called (Throttle valve??) and did not know there is a spring in there till it bounced off my chest. thought it hit the ground but could not find it till I finally found it under the engine housing but in the engine compartment - bout an hour of searching. Got that back together and then tried to fire it - nothing but a bunch of cranking. Pulled a plug and no gas smell in that area. So off to the auto parts store as someone suggested (I think Tony) starter fluid. Well auto parts guy said always use WD40 as it will lube the cylinder and provide enough octane or whatever to fire over. As I was about to leave without a purchase he questioned the kill switch as Kansas Basser did. I told him someone else mentioned that and I should probably look at that too. Got home and leaned over the kill switch and noticed it was set in OFF position. Well flipped that up to RUN and turned the key. What a sweet immediate rewarding sound to hear that engine fire over. I chuckled a bit , Well a lot and called it a day. Since then we have been really busy with the winter rush so it has not been in the yard yet for a real running.